11 Women Protesters, Including Farooq Abdullah’s Kin, Out on Bail

Farooq Abdullah’s daughter, sister and other women were detained on Tuesday.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@KashmirOSINT) 

Women protesters, including National Conference President Farooq Abdullah's sister and daughter, who were arrested on Tuesday after they took out a protest march, were released on bail by a court on Wednesday, 17 October evening, officials said.

Abdullah's sister Suraiya, his daughter Safiya and 11 other women furnished a personal bond of Rs 10,000 and surety of Rs 40,000 each under section 107 of criminal procedure code, giving an assurance that they would maintain peace, the officials said.

The women, who were lodged in central jail Srinagar, were released around 6 pm on Wednesday after the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate granted them bail, they said.

Suraiya and Safiya were leading a group of women activists, who wore black arm bands and held placards, while protesting against abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

They were not allowed by the police to assemble and asked to disperse peacefully. However, they refused to do so and tried to stage a sit-in after which they were detained and then arrested.

Post 5 August, when the Centre abrogated special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir, the state authorities have detained scores of political leaders including three former chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah.

The senior Abdullah was subsequently booked under the stringent Public Safety Act last month.